California man sentenced to more than 3 years for drug trafficking

BILLINGS - A California man who was found with 57 pounds of methamphetamine in his car, among other illicit drugs, was sentenced Thursday to three years and two months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Heriberto Eddie Garcia, 46, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

The government alleged in court documents that Garcia worked for a drug trafficking organization transporting meth, cocaine, fentanyl, and cash to various western states, including Montana.

In late 2023, law enforcement learned from a source that Garcia was flying from Santa Ana, California, to Des Moines, Iowa, and then driving to Billings with a shipment of illicit drugs. At the direction of the DEA, Montana Highway Patrol troopers pulled Garcia over on Jan. 22, 2024, and with a warrant searched his car. They found 57 pounds of meth and a kilogram of cocaine. In an interview with law enforcement, Garcia said he had been in Des Moines and then South Dakota picking up money. He had travelled to Billings previously to pick up $70,000 for methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The DEA conducted the investigation.